She ignored America’s blood-drenched history toppling one independent government after another, saying:

“As a matter of long-standing policy, the United States does not support political transitions by nonconstitutional means.”

“Political transitions must be democratic, constitutional, peaceful and legal.”

Washington deplores democracy. It tolerates none at home and abroad.

It’s just a matter of time before the next plot to oust Venezuela’s government surfaces. Maybe with US boots on the ground. Perhaps terror-bombing Caracas.

The possibility of economic blockade is real. Venezuelan oil America buys can be gotten elsewhere.

On March 12, US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) head General John Kelly suggested another coup in convoluted comments, saying:

“A coup? You know, I don’t know anyone that would want to take that mess over, but it might be that we see, whether it’s at the end of his term or whatever, I wouldn’t say – I wouldn’t (say) necessarily a coup, but there might be with – the same ruling party – some arrangements to change leadership.”

SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility includes Latin American and Caribbean nations.

Perhaps Kelly will be directly involved if Washington tries toppling Maduro again before his term ends.

He disingenuously denied knowledge of Obama’s foiled February coup plot. For sure he was kept informed. He might have been needed.

He claimed no “involve(ment) in any way, shape or form with coup planning. I don’t know anyone who is.”

“And I probably would know if someone was.”

SOUTHCOM calls the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Bolivarian Allliance for our Americas (ALBA) “challenges…which deliberately exclude the United States and seek to limit (its) role in the hemisphere.”

On Saturday, all 12 Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) demanded Washington immediately lift Venezuelan sanctions. A statement said:

“The member states of UNASUR reject the executive order approved by the United States government which declares Venezuela a threat to national security.”

Washington’s “interference (represents a) threat to sovereignty and to the principle of non-intervention.”

“We call upon the United States to evaluate and implement dialogue as an alternative.”

“The UNASUR member States believe the internal situation in Venezuela shall be resolved through the democratic mechanisms established in the Venezuelan Constitution.”

Rodriguez said

“UNASUR has stood firm against imperialism. (Member states were) aware of the seriousness (of the threat) not only for Venezuela but for the whole region.”

“We know Venezuela is not alone. If there were to be an intervention on Venezuela, we wouldn’t know when it would move beyond our borders.”

Anti-imperialist Bolivarian Alliance of the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) nations condemned what it called an unprecedented “aggression violat(ing) every principle of international law which governs relationships between states, treating every state as equal and sovereign.”

Last December, after Obama imposed earlier sanctions, G77 nations and China demanded they be lifted immediately.

They issued a statement saying Obama’s action “undermine(d) the Charter of the United Nations and international law, especially the principles of non-intervention in internal affairs and equal rights and self-determination of peoples.”

“We are here to defend the motherland left to us by Chávez, Bolívar, Zamora, and all of our heroes and heroines, because we’ve also had many heroines, many barefooted women who defended this country. We’re following in the same legacy as all of them.”

“We are steeled, knee to the ground, for anything that happens, with the women in the vanguard, prepared on all fronts, including the diplomatic, military, and guerrilla fronts if necessary.”

As long as rogue US policies continue, no one anywhere is safe from Washington’s ravages.

Stephen Lendmanlives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected] His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.

About the author:

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]
His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.

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